Marielle is from Chicago, Illinois (a.k.a. Chi-Town, the 312, Chiberia). She was raised in a Christian home and embraced Christ as her Savior in middle school, but her faith didn’t come alive until she moved to Los Angeles in 2010 and started going to Reality LA. In a wild turn of events — you might even call it divine intervention — she “randomly” discovered Reality while reading a magazine article about a Hollywood church that drew young Christians in droves.

Week in and week out, Marielle found that the sermons at RLA resonated with her in a way she’d never experienced before. In her own words, “I became newly captivated by Jesus, and I haven’t looked back.” In the decade since, she’s served as an usher, sung in the choir, and volunteered with RLA’s Youth and IKON ministries.

Marielle studied English lit in college then got a masters in professional writing, and now she puts both degrees to use as an editor and freelance journalist. She once went viral when she snapped a picture of a $6 bottle of Asparagus Water at Whole Foods (we couldn’t have made that up), and she was on Wheel of Fortune (also true). She hopes to eventually write a book, but more importantly, she dreams of one day moving into a dog-friendly apartment.